By: Sharon Schweitzer
2026 November Plant & Soils Sciences Projects
include these project areas –
Crops, Vegetables, Flowers, House Plants and Plant Crafts.
All 4-H members and families are welcome to attend any or all
meetings, activities and events for learning and/or enjoyment.
There are many project possibilities. Ask for a Hands-on Activity for your club meeting activity.
November Gardening
The end of one growing season and planing for the next.
-Finish cleaning up any diseased garden plants or weeds. They need to be removed not composted. Burn them if allowed or Bag them for removal so they do not return next season.
-Mulch leaves for compost or add them to a compost pile
Layer “brown” leaves with “green” materials to mix high-carbon and high-nitrogen inputs for faster composting.
-Add mulch and/or compost to garden beds. Or consider planting a cover crop.
-Clean Up Perennial Flowers
Cut some, Leave some, plant some
Learn which perennials to leave and which to cut back.
Bearded irises, lilies, and peonies should be cut back in the fall to avoid pests and diseases from overwintering in the stems and on the foliage.
Leave those like coneflowers with sturdy stems and seed heads for seed-eating birds, like finches. Those with hollow stems are winter nesting places for native bees and butterfly caterpillars.
-Clear Away Vegetable Crops
Clear away diseased plants and any dead or rotting plant material so disease and pests can’t overwinter.
Leave roots of beans and peas, they are beneficial to the many soil microorganisms. Just cut off the tops of these crops and allow the microorganisms to live and feed off of the roots throughout winter.
– Leave Lawn Grass Long
Best leaving the grass to grow a little longer over the winter for soil-enriching caterpillars and other bugs. It’s also healthier to return leaf litter to the soil rather than raking it up.
– Support Wildlife and Pollinators
Build a Bug Snug: An Essential Winter Habitat for Insects
Create brush piles for birds and little mammals (as well as frogs and reptiles) to provide warmth and protection. Birds like “high-energy foods during the coldest weather. Be consistent is offering food and water as well as keeping feeders and bird baths clean.
– Plant Bulbs for Pollinators
Spring-flowering bulbs provide early nectar for pollinators
If deer are a problem, plant snowdrops, alliums, and crocuses.
Be sure to dig up tender bulbs/tubers such as cannas, dahlias, elephant ears, caladium,, and gladiolus before a hard freeze.
What part of these November Gardening Activities would you share as a project exhibit about gardening at the county fair?
Text or email, 920-650-7110 or rwses@idcnet.com with question, comments or concerns. Plants and Soils County Leader, Sharon Schweitzer
2026 November Natural Science Activities
Natural Science Projects
include Beekeeping, Birds, Insects, Fishing, Forestry, Wildflowers, Hunting & Wildlife, Adventures, and Environmental projects.
Which project area are you interested in doing this 4-H year? Do you like wildlife, wildflowers, or adventures? What do you want to learn more about? Club Leaders, Would you like to do a natural science activity as a club meeting activity? Give a call or text. Each project area has a variety of possibilities.
November is a good time to gather info and/or examples for hunting and wildlife projects or an adventure.
Will you be feeding the winter birds or making natural shelter areas for small mammals? Or are there too many of a species in your yard or local area? What kind of management practices for wildlife are good and when should they be used ?
Are you planning a hunting trip? Where will you go? What will you need? Are there hunting regulations to follow? The answer to these questions with pictures as a poster or a display can be a project entry for county fair.
What wild animal is your favorite? How do they spend their winter? Research to see if they have a den, nest or shelter. What is their winter food source? Make a poster, display, or notebook to show what you learned.
Provide food and shelter for wildlife by making a bird feeder or a brush pile shelter for small animals. Exhibit a bird feeder at the county fair as part of your project or create a model of a natural
animal shelter.
Enjoy taking a Nature Adventure Hike. Record it with photos and notes of what you do and see. Use them to create a project exhibit.
A heads up for the December Christmas Bird Count.
Mark it on your calendar for Saturday, December 19th(tentative).
The Christmas Bird Count is held each year by the National Audubon Society. The Friends of Rose Lake will hold one here in Jefferson County on December 19th. Join them and me for a great Saturday experience in observing birds and our environment.
Birders will be watching to see how the weather may be affecting the
number of birds and which species. More information will be in the December Newsletter on joining the Friends or doing a count at your home as a bird project.
Have questions, comments, suggestions, Email or text Sharon Schweitzer at 920-650-7110 or rwses@idcnet.com